The Swallows Uncaged

Elizabeth McLean, who published her first novel at the age of 73 after adventuring in Southeast Asia, 

[ let’s all take a second to appreciate that ]

crafted this story collection in the style of a Vietnamese eight-panel screen: eight narratives that interweave historical and fictional female characters over a period of a thousand years.

Energized by Elizabeth’s dedication to experimental form and taking risks, I added oversized french flaps to the book jacket, split the design into eight panels, and asked the printer to score the creases to encourage an accordion fold.

Client: Freehand Books
Author: Elizabeth McLean
Publication Date: September 2015
Awards: Third Prize, Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada 2015 (Prose Fiction category)